


a curious harmony

by straightforwardly



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Family, Fantasy Politics, Morally Ambiguous Characters, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 16:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13663212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/straightforwardly/pseuds/straightforwardly
Summary: A king and his sister discuss a potential threat to his reign.





	a curious harmony

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arbitrarily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arbitrarily/gifts).



> _...and I pray that Your Majesty will not be led astray by the poisonous rumors spread by our mutual Enemies, and remain secure in the knowledge that Your Majesty knows that I have ever been the most Ardent of Your supporters, and that I have always uttered nothing praise for Your Majesty and your Wisdom and and good judgement, and have ever been quick to Censure those few who would dare to speak Ill of Your Majesty’s reign..._

 

“Useless blather,” said his sister with contempt. She leaned her weight carelessly against the back of his chair as she read over his shoulder, one hand toying idly with the embroidery at his sleeve. But her clever, knowing eyes belied the indifference of her pose. “His Duchess holds the reins there, not this Duke—and no matter what _he_ says, I do not believe that _she_ is our friend.”

“Oh?” said Miricen. He raised his gaze to her. They were alone, he and his sister—by now, all the servants knew not to disturb them while His Majesty was at his correspondence—and so there was no need for him to conceal quite so much of the affection he felt. “You are familiar with her?” 

“Oh, yes.” Sovann smiled, though the smile was devoid of sweetness. “I know her quite well—she was in my retinue for a time, before her marriage.”

His gaze sharpened; the parchment crackled in his clenching fist. “Uncle’s creature?” 

There had been many such placed in both their retinues in the years before his ascension to the throne: craven, sneaking, treacherous eyes, ready to pass on the slightest knowledge which might make both their fortune and his and his sister’s downfall. Though their uncle was now little more than a skeleton hanging upon the city’s walls, Miricen had found that his schemes managed to endure beyond the end of his life. 

But Sovann shook her head, the black of her hair glowing red by the fire’s light. “Nominally, perhaps. Certainly she did not favor our cause. But in all other respects utterly her own, and not of a temperment to allow herself to be so easily subsumed by another. Ambitious, too. It is no accident that she married so well.”

“Dangerous.”

“She can be,” Sovann agreed. “And if spurred to action, she would be difficult to...remove. But she needn’t necessarily be a threat. If we tread carefully—take care to neither slight her nor give her too much...”

“She’ll have neither excuse nor resources with which to strike,” finished Miricen. He smiled up at her, the charming smile which had won them many an ally in their darkest days, and lifted his free hand to stroke her hair. “Clever.”

“I try,” she said, leaning into the touch and covering his hand with her own, amusement touching the edges of her mouth. Her fingers felt cool against his skin. Or perhaps it was his skin which was warm; he always burned, when Sovann was near. 

Sometimes, when she looked at him as she did now, her eyes dark with some unexpressed emotion, he wondered if she burned too. 

Too soon, she pulled back, her eyes shuttering as she looked away. She drew in a long breath; when she spoke, her voice was steady.

“Well, then,” she said. “Clever or not, the Duke’s letter still requires an answer. Let’s get back to it, shall we?”


End file.
